Simple Faith and Matters of Conscience

A nice bug with bad ideas!

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Jimmy's core beliefs on conscience will get you killed!

Let this mind be in you!

Philippians 2:5-8
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

A Cricket Tried To Kill Me!

    The statement “Always let your conscience be your guide, is a profound one if you are a singing cricket with a top hat!” I personally believe that if that perspective becomes one of your core beliefs, eventually it will only produce depression, anxiety, and a trip to the loony bin. Scripture is right when it proclaims that “there is a way that seems right unto man.” It was that kind of Cricket mentality, pride, and self-dependency, that just about killed me. It’s true! A dependence on your self-proclaimed spiritual prowess and matters of conscience will produce the kinds of beliefs that will lead you off course in your simple and restful walk of faith.
    Contrary to the hyper-spiritual concepts we have embraced, the Bible has a much different view on the matter than we have adventured out to discover. It tells us that while your conscience may be a good helper, it is also a harsh master. Whenever there are negative implications linked with conscience in the Bible and when words like sinful, evil, defiled or seared are used in conjunction with conscience, it always pertains to the self-effort of one who is striving to appease their conscience apart from the finished work of the Cross. The only way sinful man can have a perfect conscience is by having it covered with the blood of Christ. When we look at The Book of Hebrews in the Bible, any other conscience is a “sinful” conscience and it always results in “dead works.” When I engaged in works to appease my conscience, those works become tainted and impure in motivation. In my spiritual pride I thought I could fix people, denominations, and the church. These perspectives are a direct result of compensating for sin or failures and thus become self-serving at their very foundation. Simply put, this kind of conscience and core belief is nothing more than a mission of self-righteousness because it doesn’t come from a pure conscience.

​Identify the presence of Self-Righteousness.

    Just a few Examples and Statements of a self-righteous conscience (See more in Galatians 5):

• I’ll do better this week!
• I’ll show them!
• If that’s how they feel then I’ll just write that person off!
• So and so, said this, about them, and I believe it
• This sermon doesn’t apply to me!
• Statements like “There is nothing you can do,” really tick you off because you’ve been working overtime to impress Him or to be like Him.
• You think Grace is earned in some way.
• Trying to prove yourself to others is exhausting you!
• You think constantly about how you are perceived and what others think about you.
• You can’t forgive or accept that His blood has changed someone else on the inside.
• You rely on outward signs in others rather than an inward work that Christ does before you will accept others.
• You are all too willing to report on the spiritual status of others without discerning their heart or walking alongside of them. (See 2 Corinthians  and Paul’s thoughts on that).
• You are on a mission to fix everyone but yourself, a job for only Jesus!

   
   What the Bible does refer to, as a pure conscience is one that is absent of ulterior motives and hidden agendas. That can only stem from a “perfect” conscience. Simply put, it is in resting in the Finished Work of the Cross that our conscience finally finds perfection and rest. It is there that we are freed from the mind numbing guilt, depression, and self-righteous spirit that will drive us straight into the mental ward.

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV
[10] But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

    Despite my newfound conscience and a changed heart there are still some who would say that I am a botched up mess and that I don't warrant or deserve grace on any level. That is because my cup is perpetually dirty on the outside but clean on the inside! So, I always reply by saying, You would be right! But here is the deal, I am what I am by His grace! It wasn't something I acquired or earned, or even traded up for. It was given freely to me by the Lord and not in vain as some would suspect, He filled my dirty on the outside cup and made me clean on the inside!

   After Jesus had called Lazarus forth, Lazarus’ sisters were given the responsibility of simply removing his grave clothes. I am most certain that he had a look of death about him and quite possibly a stench about him while still wrapped up in the rags of his past. But they didn’t say we can’t be around him nor, did they take the position that Jesus hadn’t really brought life to one who was once dead. To often we disassociate with people who have been brought to life but are still in their grave cloths. The fact of the matter is, we are all packing around a few pieces of the old wrappings. So, try not to be so offended by my old grave clothes that you won’t fellowship with me, lest we make the grace which was bestowed upon each of us in vain. I simply need help to get these grave clothes off! And by the way… So do you!

   Now I am free to live in His grace and with a clean conscience but my labor characteristics have changed! Now I labor even more! Not to boast in my self righteous pride or to be a spiritual authority and not for the sake of laboring to be recognized by my good works but now I labor to stand firm in the grace that is with me and unto rest in the work that His grace is already doing! Furthermore I can rest in knowing that He has bestowed His grace upon you too and that it was not in vain!

2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV
[9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

   The work is done and the rest has begun! His strength has been made perfect even while you're in grave clothes and you are at your weakest point. Yes I have failed and so have you so let’s together glory in the fact that even though there are inadequacies and the outside of our cup may be a little dirty, the power of Christ is resting upon us! Your cup is clean and full on the inside!
Be free, keep your faith simple, and walk in forgiveness with a clean, perfect conscience, through the Shed Blood of Jesus Christ today! Anything else, tramples on Jesus the One who became sin, the One who became the worst version of me, the One who stood in our place and took all of God's wrath so that you and I could be free from the guilt, condemnation, and judgment that we all deserved. Why would we ever want to deprive ourselves of such amazing grace? Unless of course our confidence is rooted in the strength of our own flesh.

Assignment

   The purpose of this thought is to unpack the sin of spiritual pride and self-sufficiency and to remove your grave cloths.

• Stop everything you are doing and become obedient only to your newfound friend Jesus. It may feel like you have stopped everything but don’t proceed until He moves you.
• Keep practicing your dependency on Him
• Practice until your life is just a response to what He is doing!
• Enjoy your newfound rest!!!